Bon Secours Mercy Health has handed over roughly three acres of Springfield Township land, including an unused medical office building on Banning Road, to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati, clearing the way for the nonprofit to build about 25 homes. The property transfer officially closed on June 3, officials say.
According to the Cincinnati Business Courier, the donation covers the vacant medical office at 2270 Banning Road and several surrounding small parcels that together total about three acres. Matt Crawford, vice president of real estate for Bon Secours Mercy Health, told the outlet the land "did not have significant market value" and that Mercy Health had no need for it.
Local 12 shared the Business Courier reporting and noted that Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati is aiming to put approximately 25 homes on the donated parcels, a project both outlets report came together over the past year. Habitat leaders say this type of land gift is exactly what allows them to scale up.
How Habitat plans to use the land
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati builds both stand-alone single-family houses and more compact attached units, depending on site size and the surrounding neighborhood. The organization’s "Where We Build" page lists Springfield Township as one of its target areas and shows that it is pursuing larger developments in order to increase its overall production. Officials say land donations remove a major acquisition hurdle and give Habitat room to decide whether the site becomes single-family lots, townhomes or a mix, based on community needs and available financing.
What it means for the local housing crunch
Housing advocates say projects like this add badly needed for-sale affordable homes to a market where such options are scarce. At the same time, they warn that local demand still far outpaces what any one site can deliver. Notes from a recent Housing & Growth Committee briefing, reported by Signal Cincinnati, indicate Habitat is leaning into "middle housing" and adopting some conventional-developer tactics to grow output, yet qualifying applications outnumber completed houses by roughly 10-to-1. In that context, a 25-home development is a meaningful local boost, even if it barely dents the broader affordability squeeze.
The Cincinnati Business Courier’s coverage notes the deal officially closed June 3 but does not specify when construction will begin, and early reports likewise do not include a build start date. Habitat’s public project listings outline broader growth goals but have not yet posted a schedule for these particular parcels, leaving the timeline and next steps for the Springfield Township site still to be determined.
